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Stunning Mercedes-Benz Cork Surfboard

12 Nov 2014

Think of Mercedes-Benz engineering and an array of sleek, metallic dream machines likely spring to mind. The elegant gull wings of the 300SL. The season-dominating rear end of the F1 W05. You wouldn't think that a background in ABS and V8s would come in handy when building a performance surfboard, but apparently the German engineers know a thing or two about catching a wave.

This sublime curved vision is the new Silver Arrow of the Sea - and it's made entirely from cork. Developed with Garrett McNamara - the man who holds the record for the biggest wave ever surfed, a feat he achieved riding a Mercedes-made MBoard - the unusual material is apparently key to the boards performance potential. Built with Portuguese surfboard manufacturer Polen Surfboards, the unconventional material is durable, buoyant and perfect for the job of taming the monstrous waves of the country's Nazaré bay.

"As Portugal is the world's biggest producer of cork, it makes sense to use that material to produce high-performance surfboards," says McNamara. "For surfing high waves, we need a flexible board that is also tough enough not to break."

Set to be used by McNamara at the North Canyon Project held this month, if the latest cork board stands up to the challenge, you can expect it to hit surf shops sometime next year. Even if you're not surfing building-sized waves, it'll still look nice propped in the corner of your living room?

For an idea of what McNamara likes to do for "fun", you can watch his record-breaking surf below.